Something Concrete to Connect with: Saudi and Egypt

     King Salman of Saudi Arabia announced that the nation was in talks with Egypt to build a bridge over the Red Sea connecting the two countries, and that the interaction has finally borne fruit. The announcement was made on television during the second day of his visit to Cairo - after meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and before representatives of the two countries began signing investment deals.

King Salman addressed the Egyptian President as his brother and said that his Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to build a bridge connecting the two countries which will be a historic step to connect the two continents, Africa and Asia, and is a qualitative transformation that will increase trade between the two continents to unprecedented levels.

It is not discussed where the position of the bridge would be, but it is said to be at the closest point Nabq, just north of Sharm el-Sheikh, in Egypt, and RasAlsheikh Hamid, in Saudi Arabia - the two countries are 16kms apart from each other.

The plan to build a bridge over the Red Sea at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba has been of debate for many long years. Earlier versions of the proposalsdrew conclusions that the connection would feature a railway line in parallel with the road lanes, integrating both countries’ proposed high-speed railway systems. In that plan, the causeway would pass through Saudi's Tiran Island, which would serve as a connection between the two countries.

Sisi, had presented the king with the ceremonial Nile Collar and after the announcement of the concrete connection, suggested the name "King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Bridge".

He also said that the unique quality of the relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the extent to which they are strong and deep-rooted, will allow both the nations to face mutual challenges."Our cooperation will certainly allow us to resolve all of our regional crises, such as in Palestine, Yemen, Libya and Syria," he added.

Saudi Arabia, through this move is planning to provide a massive aid package to Egypt, bridge to Sinai to bolster Egyptian economy and link Arab world. The Arab world has long sought this link with North Africa and the Middle East, bypassing Israel. Now it appears that Saudi Arabia is bent on turning that dream into a reality. The King Salmanalong with the declaration of the bridge being built,announced a series of measures intended to aid Egypt’s sagging economy and bring the two allies closer together than ever before. He also discussed $20 billion in loans to help boost Egypt economically, along with a comprehensive plan to develop the Sinai region priced at $1.5 billion.

The plan calls for a massive 30 mile bridge linking RasNasrani near Sharm el-Sheikh to RasHamid in northern Saudi Arabia. If completed, the bridge would be one of the longest in the world. The project is estimated to cost between $3- and $4 billion. As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia will reportedly finance Egypt's oil necessities for five years.

Historically, the relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia could be considered as extending several centuries back to the relations between earlier regimes in Egypt – the highly autonomous Egypt Eyalet in the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Egypt – and the earlier manifestations of Saudi/Wahhabi power in the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt are both highly influential countries in the Arab world, with Egypt being the most populous Arab country and Saudi Arabia being a member of the G20.According to a 2013 Pew global opinion poll, 78% of Egyptians express a favourable view of Saudi Arabia, with 19% expressing an unfavourable view.

Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr applauded the launch of the land bridge between Egypt and said that it would be a gift to the Egyptian people, and that King Salman is eager to make a transformation in Saudi-Egyptian relations. She said that the outcome of this visit reflected positively on the two countries and the Arab world in general.

Economists and politicians are of the opinion that the land bridge is a quantum leap in cooperation on bilateral and regional trade levels. Former interim Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi, Secretary General for the Arab Investors Union Jamal Bayoumi, Former Dean of the Arab Studies Institute Ahmad Yousif, Ahmad Jalal, head of the Economic Studies Center,  head of the Egyptian side of the Saudi Egyptian Business Council, Abdulhamid Abu Mousa, and two members of the Egyptian Parliament expressed their optimism about the bridge, saying it reflects the deep strategic and economic vision of the leaders of the two countries. The bridge has come at a critical time and people are hoping it would revitalize an economy that has badly been affected by the turmoil of the past few years, leading to external intervention and the emergence of extremism and terrorism. Thousands of new employment opportunities, and economic growth of the countries and overall better relations are expected as the outcome of the plan.